The New England Patriots finished the regular season first in total offense with 394.2 yards per outing, second in scoring with an average of 28.6 points on the board per game and second in passing yards with 276.1 per game. At 40 years old, veteran quarterback Tom Brady also became the oldest player to lead the NFL in passing yards with 4,577. Brady eclipsed the previous record set by both Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos, who were each 37 years old when they led the league in passing yards in 2016 and 2013, respectively.
Despite these outstanding and impressive numbers, the Patriots need to sharpen their offense in the postseason to make a run at their sixth Super Bowl title. In their 26-6 win over the New York Jets that clinched them the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Patriots’ weaknesses on offense were clearly visible. If not addressed quickly, opponents might capitalize on them and derail their chances of a deep postseason campaign, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com.
Patriots’ offense sputtered vs Jets
Against the Jets, Hannibal said the Patriots engineered a 13-play, 75-yard attack that ended in a touchdown on their opening drive. However, the Patriots’ offense sputtered in their next three possessions, leading to punts.
“This is where opposing teams could take advantage and completely take over the momentum of the game,” said Hannibal. Luckily, the Patriots have several days to resolve the problem and sharpen their offense in time for the divisional playoff game on January 13 at Gillette Stadium against a still-to-be-determined opponent.
In Monday’s conference call, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels admitted that the team’s offense did not execute as they would like, gaining just 342 yards of total yardage.
"We certainly have plenty to work on, this week, to try to prepare and have our best performance the next time we line up and play,” McDaniels said.
Belichick expects tough divisional matchup
When asked about their next opponent, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick expects that they will play the best team in the divisional round.
“They'll be a team that’s in the playoffs and has won a postseason game. So whatever they do, they’ll probably continue to do a very high percentage of it because it’s gotten them this far,” said Belichick, adding that it will be a big challenge for the Patriots once they know their opponent in the divisional round. “It’ll be a big challenge for us to get ready for that once it’s identified,” Belichick stressed.
